I have read this article at LEAST twice and find it a bit confusing. I guess
I will need to read it again :-) What size/type of thread do you use?
>If I am building at 2.4" to 1' and smaller I use Aphaltic resin type glue and
>drag simulated stiches across the rib.
>
Do you use some special applicator so that the "stitches" are of a consistent
size?
>In either case I then cut strips of Coverite and iron them over the stiches (I
>find a rotary knife to be the most effective tool for this job).
>
Great! I am going to get one of these knives before I start covering! This
implies that the edges are NOT pinked. Which I would believe to be true. Since
I will be doing some Rhinebeck models in the future I will need to check and
see if their replica's are pinked. I think they are. I know for a fact that
Brian Coughlin's D-VIII is. Thanks for reminding me!
>As far as spacing goes I'll have to check at home to confirm the distance.
>Both top and bottom wings used the same spacing and the only varition occurred
>within the areas covered by the propeller arc here the spacing was cut in half
>because of the increased pressure within the slip stream. I have noted that
>rib stiching systems varied from country to country and may have even varied
>from one manufacturer to the next and my information is based on RFC/RAF
>practices.
Terrific! I appreciate it! It makes sense that the number of stitches would
be increased in the slip stream area. As in most areas of aircraft manufacture
it does seem natural that stitching systems would vary from manufacturer to
manufactirer and from country to country. Do you (or anyone else for that
matter) know if the coverings were applied by sewing a "bag" first or were they
applied as one or two pieces and stitched as they went?
Thanks for your help! If you don't mind I am some additional questions
about general design/construction techniques that you use. I'll ask them
here and if the rest of the list isn't interested and you are we can take
them offline.
I just finished reading David Boddington's book on R/C Scale Aircraft. I found
many of the things he was suggesting to be reasonable. He certainly advocates
using scale construction techniques. This made sense to me. One the large
models (say 1/5 and up) he was suggesting the use of scale materials. If the
prototype used spruce then spruce should be used in the model. This is an
area where I find it a bit more difficult to make a decision. How do you
approach
fusealage construction? Do you generally (and I realize that each model is
different)
use one piece longerons with cross memebers of spruce of hard balsa? Do you
use tension wires or balsa stringers? I have seen several techniques and am
not sure when one technique might be more appropriate than another.
When you do wings do you use built up ribs, slab ribs with lightening holes
or some combination? Do you cover your wings in multiple pieces or use the
sewn bag approach?
A lot of questions I know! But as I movefrom kit bashing to plans bashing
to designing and building I am trying to gather information about various
techniques and styles. Hopefully the more information I have the better
the end result!
Thanks for your time!
Doug
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'I am a traveler of | Douglas R. Jones
both Time and Space' | IEX Corporation
Led Zepplin | (214)301-1307
| djones@iex.com
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